I Kish(ed) A Girl, And I liked It!

The tiny Fokker 50 plane rattled its way across the Persian Gulf, but managed to complete the 30 minute flight without coming apart at the seems.  I stepped out into the hot night and made my way to the passport control booth at the equally tiny airport.  After having my document inspected, the officer instructed me to take a seat and wait.  After the appropriate amount of time elapsed, another officer ushered me into a back office to ask a few questions and take my fingerprints and photo.  After disclosing that I was meeting an old student, the officers located Ashkan, my girlfriend's brother, in order to confirm my identity and purpose of visit.  Eventually, I was allowed to pass through with my passport newly stamped with an admission from those in authority that I had only been kept behind in a petty attempt to illustrate the difficulties that they face when going to my country.  It would have been frustrating and intimidating but for the fact that they couldn't stop smiling warmly and being so welcoming; a big contrast to the time I flew out of Uzbekistan.  The key, I find, to border crossings is to look contemptuously bored with a few pleasantries, but without being overly friendly.  And with that, I met my girlfriend and we made our way out of the terminal.  I was in Iran.  More specifically, I was on the island of Kish.

Kish Island lies less than 20km from the Iranian mainland and is home to about 20,000 people.  With its Free Trade Zone status, the island has been granted a little more freedom than the rest of Iran and as such it is possible for foreigners to visit without a visa - notoriously problematic to acquire, especially for those holding British, US and Canadian passports.  Most foreign guests to this small, but beautiful island pop over from nearby Dubai in order to update their UAE visas every month or so; the majority of whom are from India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

I was there to see my girlfriend, Pegah.  Although originally from the capital, Tehran, she and her family have called Kish home for some time.  It was my first opportunity to visit her in 6 months and after so long apart it was so good to finally be not only in the same time zone, but breathing the same air.  For the past year we have been in a long-distance relationship after I went to Vietnam for work and she remained in Istanbul for her studies.  With hindsight, not the greatest move I've ever made, but I tend not to dwell on the past and the things that could or should have happened.  Instead, I try to make the most of the present and future.  My present was finally being with my girl and my future involved restarting our life together in Dubai.

My first hurdle to overcome, though, was to find a place to stay for a couple of nights.  Pegah had reserved a room for me at one hotel, but when we arrived there wasn't anyone to be found but the security guy who refused to check me in.  At a second hotel we were informed that I had to go to the police station and get a letter stating that it was OK for me to stay there.  After trying another couple of places, we finally managed to find one with a room and didn't have paranoid owners.  I wasn't required to get any such letter, but after decades of living in fear of authority and not used to dealing with 'westerners,' people could be forgiven for not wanting to get involved with me.  However, this was not a feeling I had often as most people seemed welcoming and friendly, including Pegah's father (who, I must admit, I had been pretty nervous about meeting).

Kish enjoys a slightly more liberal environment, but it still has to adhere to the laws that govern Iran.  As a British national, and thus open to suspicion, it was difficult to know when my girl and I could express our feelings.  For our own security, it was wise to keep her brother as a chaperon while we hung out and checked out the island's sights.  I have known many Iranians, and the tragic part of their plight is being forced to live my an Islamic code that a good majority don't believe in.  It's rare that I've encountered devout Muslims from that country and it's no surprise that the first thing many women do when arriving at a foreign airport is to remove their hijabs.

Although the island is pretty small (about 90 square km), it does have a number of attractions for those people who hop over on their visa runs, or come from the mainland to take advantage of the shopping and the beaches.  First up, we checked out the underground town on Kariz.  This was the island's main water supply and has been around for over 2000 years.  Exploring the tunnels and vast expanses made for a pleasant escape from the sun and its heat.  Another ancient sight, is the city of Harireh which still partly stands and can be seen for free.  The biggest attraction for most tourists here, though, is the Greek Ship, an old vessel that was shipwrecked in 1966.  It still stands just off the coast and made for a good photo-op at sunset.  My highlight, it has to be said, was the giant penguin that stood in the centre of the island.  I have no idea why it's there, but climbing up it, it did offer a good view of the island.

My stay was far too short and my time alone with Pegah even shorter.  Now that I'm living in Dubai and she is in the process of transferring and completing her studies here, I can only hope we remedy that soon.